Train hits tractor-trailer truck at Auburn industrial park

No one was injured when a train struck a tractor-trailer Monday night at the entrance to an industrial area on Southbridge Street.

Police Sgt. John Kelleher said the tractor-trailer was apparently waiting behind a car to pull out onto Southbridge Street around 6:30 p.m. when a slow-moving train struck the rear of the trailer. The trailer appeared to sustain significant damage near its rear wheels; it was buckled and twisted in several places. Pallets of Polar beverages could be seen through a hole in the side of the trailer. Polar operates a facility in the industrial area, which also includes an indoor baseball practice facility.

Police at the scene did not release information about the driver of the tractor-trailer, and Sgt. Kelleher said he did not yet know who owned the train that struck the trailer. There are warning lights posted near the tracks, but the crossing does not include the mechanical arms to block traffic. Sgt. Kelleher said the trailer would likely have to be off-loaded.

The cab of the tractor-trailer had decals describing it as part of Orange Transportation Services out of Campobello, S.C. Traffic was able to squeeze by in both directions as police investigated the accident.